This Airport Is Home To A McDonald's With A One-Of-A-Kind Feature

McDonald's may have cemented its place in fast food history by standardizing its menu ingredients across the franchise, but among its 41,000 locations around the world, individual restaurants manage to find a way to stand out. Some McDonald's are so interesting, they have become quite the phenomenon, like the UFO-themed McDonald's in Roswell, New Mexico, and the New Zealand location housed inside a decommissioned DC-3 airplane. Others stand out for their unique characteristics, like the one-of-a-kind feature found inside the McDonald's located at an airport in Australia.

At the McDonald's Sky Kitchen inside the Sydney Airport (SYD), customers get a unique experience to help keep them busy in between flights. After an order is placed, it is assembled in an upper-level kitchen behind a clear, bright yellow glass wall so customers can see their food being prepared. But that isn't the only unique part. Once they are made and bagged, orders are then picked up by an automized conveyor belt-style contraption that grabs each bag and carries it from the second floor to the waiting customers below. Created in partnership with the design and brand consulting team of Landini Associates, the eye-catching yellow kitchen and innovative conveyor belt make this airport restaurant a hotspot for hungry travelers as well as Instagrammers looking for the perfect photo op. The only drawback: Word has gotten out so it's likely to be crowded when you visit.

McDonald's started off as a small restaurant founded by two brothers, Richard and Maurice McDonald, in 1940. But when its first franchise agent, Ray Kroc bought them out in 1961, the fast food industry was about to change. Kroc, who recognized the importance of consistency across the chain, was responsible for establishing standard packaging, portions, and prep techniques. While these moves helped change the fast food franchise world and create a brand that customers could rely on for consistency, McDonald's and its franchises have found other ways to create unique experiences.

McDonald's has seemingly perfected the art of creating buzz around specialty menu items, like the cult-like following the McRib has enjoyed over the years. It has also found success in creating unique items for different markets, such as an affordable lobster roll that was once offered in New England and the McAloo Tikki Burger offered in India. These unique items create different experiences only available at select locations, but customers still get to enjoy the reliable consistency of the brand as a whole. 

When it comes to the conveyor belt delivery system that delivers bags of fresh food to customers at the Sky Kitchen in the Sydney Airport, customers can enjoy an experience that no other franchise offers. This makes it as much of a tourist attraction as it is a fun way to enjoy a reliable meal while you wait for your flight.